THIS is my opinion, written from the perspective of an everyday, young member of society, casting a critical young eye over recent anti-social behaviour by young people in Scotland. Now try the sentence again removing the word "young" - does it mean anything different? Is the fact that I'm young really that important?
Actually, although I know it might go against what I was trying to illustrate in my opening gambit, I think in this instance the fact that you are hearing from a young person on your own territory might do some good. Though I'm 19, I am perfectly abl
e to communicate without resorting to expletives or crude gestures, I have never been in trouble with the law and, most importantly, I am not alone in this: I am joined by over 99% of my peers. I know this may fly in the face of everything you see and read about us, but then the media are not renowned for their objective portrayal.
Historically speaking (or at least so my grandparents say), "things were better in the old days". Glad to hear it! Seeing as we have yet to invent a time machine, there seems little point in going on about the past, when we have the present and the future to deal with. To say that problems with anti-social behaviour are solely the responsibility of young people, as a large percentage of British adults do in a new study by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR), is to ignore the deeper implications of the situation. Labour MSP Helen Eadie, who recently had her car attacked by a gang when she was visiting a trouble spot in her constituency, jumped to the same conclusion, demanding punitive measures to tackle unruly youths in the area. But this glosses over a whole range of issues - not least that the "group of hooded youths" responsible are likely to be her constituents just as much as those who complained.
I'm not condoning the actions of these young people. Anyone, young or old, who acts in this manner is clearly breaking the law and having a negative impact on the community. But I do not think a blanket curfew for young people in that area, as threatened by Eadie, is the answer. It would simply demonise all young people, and ultimately cause problems rather than solve them. If young people are considered by society to be "yobs" and "hooligans", they are more likely to act as such. If society does not give young people any responsibility or reason to feel attached to it, they have no reason to act within its norms and moral values.
MSPs seem to have forgotten that only three years ago, the government passed legislation to attempt to deal with this type of behaviour - indeed, Jack McConnell has recently encouraged local authorities to make more use of the anti-social behaviour legislation. So, why the need to go further? Clearly, the government's attempt to tackle this is not working. Why? Because young people are viewed as the problem, rather than as part of the solution.
The IPPR report talks about young Scots as being among the worst in Europe for spending their nights away from their parents, for failing to dine with their families and a whole host of other apparent indicators of degenerative behaviour. But I am incredulous at the way these statistics are being used. Where are the families in all of this? Have parents suddenly ceased to take decisions in their home? Ceased to have a responsibility for the upbringing of their children?
In order to tackle effectively the roots of anti-social behaviour among young people, there is a need to involve them in decision-making in relation to the problems identified in communities. If we include young people in the process of decision-making on the issues that affect them, they are more likely to respond in a positive way. In Helen Eadie's case, why not include young people in the proposed collaboration between parents, local authority and police?
The vast majority of young people are angry that the actions of a few result in a comprehensive demonisation of the many. Regardless of my age, I am first and foremost a citizen of this country and share concerns about acts of violent, anti-social behaviour. What I take exception to is that, thanks to the hype surrounding the acts of the minority, I can't wear a hoodie or enter a shop with more than five of my friends at once. Consistently in the Scottish Youth Parliament's consultations across the country, we hear about how difficult it is to get publicity for good news stories about young people while at the same time front pages are dominated by sensationalist pieces about youth crime.
One of the few positive stories about the achievements of young people over the past few days was in relation to the motion that Mary Mulligan MSP tabled in the Scottish Parliament, congratulating a group made up of both young and elderly people, drawing on shared beliefs and aspirations. There are so many young people who do so many fantastic things which benefit their communities. Why can't we use newspapers to recognise these achievements and give other young people something to aspire to?
What is key to this whole debate is the issue of respect, but let me be clear about this: it is not solely about young people respecting their elders. This is just as much about those elders understanding what it means to be young in today's society. By all means, if a group of young people is destroying property then phone the police, but if the group is simply hanging around, perhaps shouting a bit louder than you appreciate, is it really necessary? This is an intergenerational issue which requires intergenerational solutions; it is senseless to perpetuate an 'us' and 'them' approach.
Attitudes and lifestyles have changed. Young people today are different from the young people of yesteryear, but punks and even hippies were viewed with the same trepidation in their day. I'm not asking people to "hug a hoodie" or "love a lout". What I'm saying is that these sweeping generalisations do no-one any favours; they simply extend the marginalisation of an already disengaged section of society. Talk to young people - every one is an individual.
Hilary Lynn is vice-chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament
